FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Wednesday, December 3, 2025
Contact: Carmela Solorzano
Yakima Neighborhood Health Services
Communications Office
(509) 454-4143 ext.1148 | ynhs.org
communications@ynhs.org
Yakima Community Invited to Candlelight Vigil Honoring the Lives of Those Who Experienced Homelessness and Passed Away in 2025
Yakima, WA — On Sunday, December 21, 2025, the community will gather for a vigil to honor individuals who lost their lives in 2025 and have experienced homelessness. This annual event serves as a moment of reflection, remembrance, and renewed commitment to addressing homelessness in Yakima County.
Event Details:
What: 21st Annual Homeless Persons’ Memorial Day Candlelight Vigil
When: Sunday, December 21, 2025 – 5:00 p.m.
Where: Millennium Plaza, Yakima
Yakima Neighborhood Health Services (YNHS) is hosting the 21st Annual Homeless Persons’ Memorial Day Candlelight Vigil in partnership with the Homeless Network of Yakima County. Community members from Yakima County, advocates, and service providers, are invited to attend and stand in solidarity with those affected by housing insecurity, share memories, and reflect on the lives of those lost in 2025.
Held each year on the first day of winter—the longest night of the year— this National Day of Remembrance honors the lives of individuals in our community who have died without the comfort and safety of a home at some time in their life. Pastor Shane Moore of Wesley United will offer the invocation, and Reverend David Hacker of St. Michael’s in Yakima will offer the benediction and lead the music. Olive Garden and Starbucks provide donations of food and beverages for the attendees, and several volunteers attend to help facilitate the event.
“Each person we remember was someone’s friend, family member, or neighbor,” says YNHS CEO, Rhonda Hauff. “Their lives mattered. This vigil is a moment to honor them, to bring awareness to the suffering caused by homelessness, and to recommit building a community where everyone has a place to call home.”
The annual observance is part of the National Homeless Persons’ Memorial Day, first established in 1990 by the National Health Care for the Homeless Council and the National Coalition for the Homeless. Communities across the country gather on this day to remember those who have died and experienced homelessness and to advocate for solutions that prevent homelessness and promote housing stability.
For more information or to schedule an interview, please contact Carmela Solorzano at (509) 454-4143 ext.1148.
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About Yakima Neighborhood Health Services (YNHS)
Yakima Neighborhood Health Services (YNHS) is a Community Health Center committed to providing high-quality, affordable primary medical, dental, behavioral health care, and social services to individuals and families across Yakima County. With clinics and resource centers stretching from Yakima to Sunnyside, YNHS provides comprehensive and compassionate care for all—regardless of ability to pay.
About Homeless Network of Yakima County:
The Homeless Network of Yakima County represents interested community members who advocate for individuals experiencing homelessness in Yakima County in order to improve quality of life, increase public awareness of the issues of homelessness, impact public policy and prevent and end homelessness.